Keeping flag of Urdu aloft in US

LAHORE
The Alliance for Pakistan and Urdu Studies at New York University keeps the flag of Urdu language high in the United States by celebrating the inauguration of the APUS Community Center in Brooklyn, New York.
APUS in Urdu means “person-to-person” and “reciprocity”. The organisation has worked towards the promotion of a culture and a language, with a rich and complex history. The history encompasses centuries-long social, ideological, political processes envisioned and articulated through its unique literary and intellectual traditions. Raising awareness about these traditions as well as recognising, re-examining and celebrating them has been the main goal of APUS. This was revealed by Shahid Hameed Khan, the initiator and founder of APUS, a well known figure in Pakistani community in the USA, while talking to The News from New York.
Shahid Hameed Khan said, “APUS focuses its efforts on five national capacity building sectors: academia/education; domestic heritage preservation; government; overseas; private providers. First, mainly through the Startalk initiative we have organised workshops and events, in partnership with other universities, such as Columbia University, University of Texas, Austin, CUNY, Yale University, St. John’s University or NYU, Abu Dhabi, etc. and also public schools in NYC and NJ.
“We have succeeded to join our efforts with those of community organisations, such as the National Youth Organization of Pakistan; Pakistan Christian Association - USA; Sony Wattan Gilgit - Baltistan Association, Queens NY; Pakistan Music and Cultural Association, Brooklyn; Pakistani American Merchant Association, Brooklyn; Global Christian Voice Ridgewood, Queens; Eric ki Bhatak; to name a few. We attempt to work with government officials and representatives. Not only are we sending students on Borren, Fulbright and Critical Languages Scholarships to Study Abroad Programs, but we also are trying to establish relationships with institutions and organisations in Pakistan and have hosted Foreign Language Teaching Assistants from Pakistan and India for several years. In addition, we have proposed to and supported Startalk in establishing the first government-funded Master’s in Urdu and Hindi Pedagogy. And finally, we need help to reach out to private businesses to assist us in our work in the future. We hope that the promotion of the cultures and languages of Pakistan becomes a larger, nationwide and even, let us dream together, an international initiative.
And we hope to move in this direction with our first International Urdu Conference at NYU where we hope to gather representatives of the five capacity sectors in the US, Pakistan, and beyond”.
Talking about the reason for founding and importance of this unique platform, Shahid explained, “So, why is what we do important? Because we need to develop fine sensitivity and deep understanding of the cultures and languages of other countries, in order to develop further our own intellectual horizons and tolerance towards diversity. Then only can we embark on the projects for change at home or abroad.
Women’s rights and girls’ education are the main projects in Pakistan. While progress has been made, much more needs to be done to achieve gender equality in the fields of literacy, economy, politics, government administration, businesses. And it can be achieved through the local language when understanding the local mindset and culture.”